Olympic Charleroi

Last updated

Olympic Charleroi
Olympic Charleroi logo.png
Full nameRoyal Olympic Club Charleroi
Nickname(s)Les Dogues (The Mastiffs)
Founded20 September 1911;113 years ago (1911-09-20)
Ground Stade de la Neuville, Belgium
Capacity8,000 [1]
ChairmanVacant
Manager Abder Ramdane
League Belgian Division 1 ACFF
2023–24 Belgian Division 1, 7th of 18
Website olympic-charleroi.be

Royal Olympic Club Charleroi, commonly referred to as Olympique Charleroi and abbreviated as ROCC, is a Belgian association football based in Charleroi, Hainaut. The club competes in the Belgian Division 1, the third level of the Belgian football league system. Nicknamed Les Dogues (The Mastiffs), Olympic Charleroi have played their home games at Stade de la Neuville, since 1920. The club's colors are white and black, and it is registered under matricule 246.

Contents

Founded in 1911, the club first played in the Belgian Third Division before earning promotion to the Second Division in 1936. They reached the top tier in 1937 and achieved their highest league finish as runners-up in 1947. Following a period of fluctuating fortunes, including relegation in 1955 and a series of brief promotions and relegations, Olympic spent several decades in the lower divisions. In 2000, the club merged with RA Marchienne, and later returned to the third division in 2006. In 2019, Olympic merged with Châtelet-Farciennes SC and was renamed Royal Olympic Club Charleroi Châtelet Farciennes, before reverting to its original name in 2020.

History

Formation and early years (1911–1947)

Olympic Club Caroloregian Lodelinsart was established on 20 September 1911 by 17-year-old Jules Ponsaert, and joined the Union Belge des Sociétés de Sports Athlétiques (Belgian Football Association; UBSSA) in 1912 and later registered with the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) in June 1913. [2] [3] In 1914, the club adopted the name Olympic Club de Charleroi. [2] During the 1920s, Olympic made its first appearance in the Belgian Third Division. The club gradually rose through the ranks, winning the third-division title in 1936 and earning promotion to the Belgian Second Division. [2]

Success came quickly; in 1937, under the presidency of Dr. Gaston Gianolla, Olympic won the second division title in the B series and achieved promotion to the top tier. [4] The same year, the club celebrated its 25th anniversary and received royal patronage, becoming Royal Olympic Club de Charleroi. [2]

Olympic's debut in the first division was marked by a strong showing, including a third-place finish after two seasons. Although competitive, the club's performance declined during World War II. In 1947, Olympic recorded its best-ever league result, finishing as runners-up, just two points behind champions Anderlecht. [5]

Fall from first division (1947–1981)

From 1947 onward, Olympic faced local competition from Sporting Charleroi in the first division. [3] The club experienced fluctuating fortunes, remaining mid-table for several seasons before being relegated in 1955. This drop was primarily caused by the ineligibility of player Jacques Leghait, leading to eight forfeited matches and a five-point penalty. [6]

The club rebounded quickly, finishing second in the 1956 second division campaign and regaining its top-tier status. However, Olympic struggled to maintain consistency and was relegated again in 1963. Over the next two decades, the club became a second-division staple, with brief promotions in 1968 and 1975, each lasting only one season. [2] [6]

In 1972, Olympic was renamed Royal Olympic Club de Montignies-sur-Sambre, reflecting its ties to Montignies-sur-Sambre. This name change was reversed in 1982, restoring its original identity. [2]

Era in third division (1981–2006)

Logo of Royal Olympic Club de Charleroi-Marchienne (2000-2019). R.O.C. de Charleroi-Marchienne logo.svg
Logo of Royal Olympic Club de Charleroi-Marchienne (2000–2019).

In 1981, Olympic was relegated to the Belgian Third Division, ending nearly half a century in the top two tiers. This marked the beginning of a challenging period. Consistently finishing near the bottom of its third-division group, the club was relegated further to the Belgian Fourth Division in 1984. [2]

After stabilising for a season, Olympic won its fourth-division group in 1986, securing a return to the third division. A resurgence came in 1996 when the club won the third-division title. However, its second-division campaign in 1996–97 was short-lived, lasting only one season before relegation.

In 2000, Olympic merged with neighbouring RA Marchienne ( matricule 278) and became Royal Olympic Club de Charleroi-Marchienne (ROCCM). This merger aimed to consolidate resources and strengthen the club's presence in the lower divisions. [6]

Promotion to second division (2007–2009)

Olympic Charleroi's Stade de la Neuville in 2008, following their return after safety-related relocation. Neuville2.jpg
Olympic Charleroi's Stade de la Neuville in 2008, following their return after safety-related relocation.

Olympic returned to prominence by winning the third-division title in the 2006–07 season. This achievement earned the club promotion to the second division after a ten-year absence. Due to safety concerns, home games were temporarily held at Sporting Charleroi's Stade du Pays de Charleroi before returning to Stade de la Neuville. [7]

The 2007–08 season began promisingly, but the club faltered and finished mid-table, narrowly avoiding relegation. Olympic secured its licence for the 2008–09 season but struggled again, ultimately finishing 15th. After losing in the relegation playoffs, the club returned to the third division. [8]

Return to third division and decline (2009–2019)

Olympic remained competitive in the third division, achieving a second-place finish in 2009. However, financial problems began to mount, with €200,000 in debt and unpaid wages reported by 2011. [9] [10] On 10 October 2011, the club was declared bankrupt, though its youth teams were permitted to complete their seasons. [11] [12]

An investment group led by Adem Sahin revived Olympic in 2012. [13] The club navigated the Belgian Provincial Leagues, fluctuating between the fourth and first divisions in the provincial tiers, before returning to the third division in 2016. [14] During this period, it restored its historical name, Royal Olympic Club de Charleroi.

New merger and return to roots (2019–present)

In 2019, Olympic merged with Châtelet-Farciennes SC ( matricule 725), forming R. Olympic Charleroi Châtelet Farciennes. [15] [16] The new club inherited Olympic's matricule and began competing in Belgium's highest amateur league, Belgian Division 1. In 2020, the club reverted to its historical name, Royal Olympic Club Charleroi. [2]

Current squad

As of 27 December 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
1 GK Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Jordy Schelfhout
2 DF Flag of France.svg  FRA Aloïs Penin
3 DF Flag of Cameroon.svg  CMR Karl Ndedi
6 MF Flag of Algeria.svg  ALG Mehdi Terki
7 FW Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Jesse Mputu
8 MF Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Simon Paulet
9 FW Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Léandro Rousseau
10 MF Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Geoffrey Ghesquière
11 FW Flag of France.svg  FRA Noah Lobe
13 FW Flag of Tunisia.svg  TUN Mohamed Medfai
21 DF Flag of Algeria.svg  ALG Toufik Zeghdane
No.Pos.NationPlayer
22 DF Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Ayoub Kouri
23 DF Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Bryan Verboom
25 FW Flag of Mauritania.svg  MTN Souleymane Kamara
26 GK Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Adrien Saussez
28 DF Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Elias Spago
30 FW Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Roman Ferber
46 DF Flag of the Comoros.svg  COM Aaron Kamardin
70 FW Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Jérémie Luvovadio
77 DF Flag of Senegal.svg  SEN Thierno Gaye
93 FW Flag of France.svg  FRA Abdoulkhadre Gassama
— GK Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Matthias Van Hecke

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Charleroi S.C.</span> Belgian professional football club

Royal Charleroi Sporting Club, often simply known as Charleroi or Sporting Charleroi, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Charleroi, in the province of Hainaut. Charleroi plays in the Belgian Pro League. Their current spell at the highest level in Belgian football started in the 2012–13 season. Charleroi was founded in 1904 and they first reached the first division in 1947–48. Their highest finish was runner-up in the 1968–69 season. They have also twice reached the Belgian Cup final, losing in 1977–78 to Beveren and in 1992–93 to Standard Liège.

Royal Albert Elisabeth Club de Mons, simply known as R.A.E.C. Mons or Mons, is a defunct Belgian football club formed in Mons, Hainaut Province, in 1910 and based at Stade Charles Tondreau from 1910 to 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">K.A.S. Eupen</span> Belgian professional football club

K.A.S. Eupen is a Belgian professional association football club located in Eupen, Province of Liège, which currently plays in the Belgian Pro League, the top tier of Belgian football. The club was formed on 9 July 1945 through the merger of two older Eupen clubs, Jugend Eupen and FC Eupen 1920.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lommel S.K.</span> Belgian football club

Lommel SK is a Belgian association football club based in the city of Lommel, Limburg, that competes in the Challenger Pro League.

R.F.C. Tilleur-Saint-Nicolas was a Belgian football club from the municipality of Saint-Nicolas, a suburb of Liège. It was created in 1899 as Tilleur F.C. and was assigned the matricule n°21.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R.R.F.C. Montegnée</span> Football club

Royal Racing Football Club Montegnée was a Belgian association football club from the municipality of Saint-Nicolas, Liège. It last played in the 8th tier Liège Division 4, in the Belgian league system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R.F.C. Seraing (1922)</span> Association football club

RFC Seraing is a Belgian association football club based in Seraing in the province of Liège. They play their home games at the Stade du Pairay. The club currently compete in Challenger Pro League, the second tier of Belgian football.

Mohamed "Momo" Dahmane is a retired footballer. Born in France, he represented Algeria at youth level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAAL La Louvière</span> Belgian football club

Royal Association Athlétique Louviéroise La Louvière is a Belgian professional football club based in La Louvière, in the province of Hainaut. The club founded in 2009 out of a merger, competes in Challenger Pro League from 2024–25, the second tier of Belgian football after promotion from Belgian National Division 1 in 2023–24.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francs Borains</span> Belgian football club

Royal Francs Borains is a football club based in Boussu, Hainaut Province, Belgium. It was founded in 1949 and its home ground is Stade Robert Urbain, which has a capacity of 6,000. The club is affiliated to the Royal Belgian Football Association (URBSFA) with matricule 5192 and has green and white as club colours. They compete in the Challenger Pro League, the second tier in Belgian football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C.S. Visé</span> Belgian football club

Cercle Sportif Visé was a Belgian association football club based in the city of Visé, Liège. The club played its home matches at Stade de la Cité de l'Oie in Visé. They were nicknamed Les Oies, after the city of Visé nickname. On 28 October 2014, the club was declared bankrupt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">K. Rupel Boom F.C.</span> Belgian football club

Koninklijke Rupel Boom FC is a Belgian association football club based in Boom, Antwerp province currently playing in the Belgian Division 2, the fourth tier of Belgian football. They play at the Gemeentelijk Parkstadion in Boom.

The 2016–17 Belgian Second Amateur Division is the inaugural season of the division in its current format, as it replaces the former Belgian Third Division and is now placed at the fourth-tier of football in Belgium.

The 2017–18 Belgian Second Amateur Division is the second season of the division in its current format, placed at the fourth-tier of football in Belgium.

The 2018–19 Belgian Second Amateur Division is the third season of the division in its current format, placed at the fourth-tier of football in Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Châtelet S.C.</span> Football club

Royal Châtelet-Farciennes Sporting Club was a defunct Belgian football team from Châtelet, Hainaut, Belgium, last playing in the 2018–19 Belgian First Amateur Division before merging with R.O.C. de Charleroi-Marchienne to become R. Olympic Charleroi Châtelet Farciennes.

The 2018–19 Belgian First Amateur Division was the third season of the third-tier football league in Belgium, as it was established in 2016. While Tessenderlo won the regular season, Virton became champions by virtue of winning the promotion play-offs. Defending champions Knokke finished last and were relegated together with Aalst and Geel. Oudenaarde was also relegated after losing the play-offs with teams from the Belgian Second Amateur Division.

The 2019–20 Belgian First Amateur Division was the fourth season of the third-tier football league in Belgium. Mid-March all matches were temporarily postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium, only to be canceled permanently two weeks later, with the standing as of March 12th counting as final. As a result, Deinze was crowned champions and promoted to the 2020–21 Belgian First Division B.

The 2019–20 Belgian Second Amateur Division was the fourth season of the division in its current format, placed at the fourth-tier of football in Belgium. Mid-March all matches were temporarily postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium, only to be canceled permanently two weeks later, with the standing as of March 12 counting as final. As a result, Knokke, Tienen and Francs Borains were crowned champions in their respective league and were each promoted to the 2020–21 Belgian First Amateur Division.

The following article is a summary of the 2018–19 football season in Belgium, which is the 116th season of competitive football in the country and runs from July 2018 until June 2019.

References

  1. ↑ Arcangeli, Luciano (5 April 2017). "Ambition de l'Olympic de Charleroi: l'agrandissement du Stade de la Neuville". RTBF (in French). Archived from the original on 30 March 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Histoire". Royal Olympic Club Charleroi (in French). Archived from the original on 16 December 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  3. 1 2 Tassin, Stéphane (28 December 2024). "Le football à Charleroi, l'impossible fusion entre zèbres et dogues". La Libre (in French). Archived from the original on 28 July 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  4. ↑ "Olympic Charleroi – la longue agonie d'un "Under- Dogue"". DHnet (in French). 2015. Archived from the original on 28 December 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  5. ↑ "Belgium – Final Tables 1895–2008". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 27 December 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 "TRANCHES DE VIE". Le Vif (in French). 13 September 2011. Archived from the original on 28 December 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  7. ↑ "Olympic Charleroi speelt tijdens seizoen 2007-2008 op Mambour". De Morgen (in Dutch). 24 July 2007. Archived from the original on 28 December 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  8. ↑ "2008/2009 : Palmarès des championnats nationaux". Walfoot.be (in French). 21 June 2009. Archived from the original on 28 December 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  9. ↑ "Faillissement dreigt voor Olympique Charleroi". De Morgen (in Flemish). 5 July 2011. Archived from the original on 28 December 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  10. ↑ "L'Olympic de Charleroi en ordre vis-à-vis de l'Union belge". 7sur7 (in French). 9 November 2011. Archived from the original on 28 December 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  11. ↑ "Olympic Charleroi failliet". Het Belang van Limburg (in Flemish). 10 October 2011. Archived from the original on 28 December 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  12. ↑ "Vierdeklasser Olympic Charleroi zakt verplicht naar provinciale". Het Nieuwsblad (in Flemish). 21 March 2014. Archived from the original on 10 March 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  13. ↑ "Olympic Charleroi op het nippertje gered". Voetbalnieuws (in Dutch). 26 June 2012. Archived from the original on 28 December 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  14. ↑ "L'Olympic de Charleroi champion en Promotion B". RTBF (in French). 3 April 2016. Archived from the original on 28 December 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  15. ↑ "La fusion entre Châtelet-Farciennes et l'Olympic Charleroi est sur le point d'aboutir: «Plus rien ne s'y oppose!»". Sudinfo (in French). 11 February 2019. Archived from the original on 1 July 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  16. ↑ Carlier, Cyrille (9 July 2019). "La fusion avec Châtelet-Farciennes n'a pas fait que des heureux à l'Olympic Charleroi: plusieurs joueurs du noyau se retrouvent désormais sans club". Sudinfo (in French). Archived from the original on 10 July 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.